As a Christian community, called to peacemaking and reconciliation, we affirm that people of any race, ethnic identity, gender, who are gay or straight, of any ability, age, or economic status, are welcome to full participation in our congregation.
The scripture today from Isaiah 1:1-20 is a prophecy or indictment of those who have much, of those who have excess. It speaks to those who have more than enough with not attending to the needs of the poorest among them. It’s no secret that our air, land and waters face a devastating century, and […]
Scripture: Leviticus 1:1-9 and 14-17 The message begins with Rosene telling a story of a favorite gift she received. This first account of offerings in Leviticus is simply about being a gift, not something to clear feelings of guilt or forgive sins. Its only purpose is for the pleasure of and enjoyment of God. Melissa […]
Melissa continues the series on gifts with the story from Genesis 32 about Jacob meeting his brother Esau after battling with someone all night long. There are parallels between this story and that of Cain and Abel from a few weeks ago. Jacob is under the impression that he can buy anything he wants if […]
Scripture: Genesis 4:1-16 Cain and Abel gave gifts to God, but they were not gifts for them to give since all they have is already from God. When we hear that God had regard for Abel’s gift of animal parts, but no regard for Cain’s gift of fruit of the land we might ask ourselves, […]
Scripture: Genesis 1 & 2 Melissa began her message by sharing the video “Manoomin: Food That Grows on the Water” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eOz8CPW0m0]. The audio is included in this recording. For the Anishinaabe creation is a gift. But it’s also a gift that forms a bond not just between giver and receiver, but between creatures. The concept of […]
Scripture: John 1 This Sunday we launched a new series on Gifts. The recording starts with a reading from John 1 by Elizabeth and Jackie, then Melissa launches into a story from her early childhood. We want gifts to be unconditional, with no strings attached. But that’s almost impossible for us to accomplish. Human gifts […]
Scripture: John 6:56-69 Melissa reminds us that a lot of what Jesus did during his ministry on earth pushed all sorts of boundaries. At times he was downright offensive. The people on the other side of Jesus’ offenses are those who had lost their bearing. Following Jesus is not an orderly set of rules. Rather, […]
Scripture: John 6:51-58 Our English translation of the text for today’s sermon doesn’t quite get at the graphicness of the passage. “If you do not ‘gnaw on the body of Christ and drink his blood, you have no life in you,” is a more accurate translation from the Greek. Whatever spiritualizing we want to bring […]
Scripture: Psalm 66 This Sunday marked the first time meeting in person since March 2020, and the first time together at Shepherd’s Hall, where we are sharing space with Church of the Good Shepherd in downtown Raleigh. As people who are trying to follow the teachings of Jesus, we don’t have to make the kingdom […]
Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13 Melissa tackles this difficult passage about the sexual violence carried out by a powerful king, the kind of king that God had warned the Israelites about when they had cried out for someone to rule over them. There’s something else for us to learn about the structure of sexual violence in […]
Scripture: Mark 6:34-56 Melissa’s sermon recounts this passage from Mark in three parts, focusing on Jesus meeting the disciples on the lake as they were struggling to row against a strong headwind. Jesus repeatedly meets the disciples in the midst of their exhaustion. He repeatedly knew their needs before they themselves knew them. Just as […]
Scripture: Acts 2:1-21 On this Pentecost Sunday Melissa told a story about the sanctuaries in wooded areas called hush harbors where enslaved people would gather to worship in freedom, away from their enslavers and overseers. Pentecost is not a call to action. It’s a description of the Spirit’s work. What have we become as the […]
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23 & I John 5:9-13 It’s Ascension Sunday though Jesus’ ascension is actually commemorated on a Thursday on the church calendar. Interestingly, that’s one of the few days of the year that Amish and Old Order Mennonites take time off from work. For them it’s a time to remember those who were left […]
Scripture: Psalm 27: 1-5 & 1 John 4: 7-21 When we depend on a set of rules to live our lives we see ourselves as creatures who can determine our own goodness, instead of what we actually are, which is recipients of grace. As creatures of grace we are confronted by our inability to love […]
Scripture: I John 3:16-24 Melissa preached for the first time from our new meeting space at Church of the Good Shepherd in downtown Raleigh while most of us were still tuning in via Zoom. Following Jesus isn’t about fancy beliefs, personal piety or a checklist of beliefs. Whenever we have the ability to aid one […]
Scripture: 1 John 3:1-7 This Sunday Melissa began a series on I John. Many people are leaving the institutional church. Why is it that we have difficulty identifying with the term “Christian” or have some anxiety about it? The gap is between who Jesus is and how Jesus’ followers act in the world. “This is […]
Scripture: Mark 11:1-11 Melissa reflected on the strange triumph and sorrow and hope mixed together that people in El Salvador might be feeling. Palm Sunday of 1980 was the funeral for Archbishop Oscar Romero. He died because he took the side of the poor during the conflict that lead up to the Salvadorans Civil War. […]
Scripture: John 12:23-32, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 51:1-12 God is in the midst of the messiness of human life. Rather than a prescription for how to live, the psalms provide a description of God’s presence in that messiness. Psalm 51 describes David telling the truth about his sin. There’s no getting out of the work of […]
Scripture: Mark 8:31-38 Today’s scripture talks about Peter rebuking Jesus, and Jesus in turn rebuking Peter right back. Melissa tells us that term could be interpreted today as, “Shut up!” The term is used elsewhere in the gospel four times, when Jesus silences violent and evil spirits. This passage illustrates two ways for the world […]
Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-12, Mark 9:2-9 After the reading of the 2 Kings passage, we listened to Robert Robinson sing Swing Low Sweet Chariot. After the Mark passage Melissa shared a video performance of the theme from The Mission. Our world is chock full of beautiful things. Many things that are beautiful are unnecessary. The […]
Scripture: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 & Mark 1:21-28 Melissa provided us with an alternative way of looking at this passage of Jesus in the synagogue and his encounter with the man with an unclean spirit. The language Mark uses throughout his gospel is that Jesus comes to “invade enemy territory.” Melissa ties this story in with the […]
Scripture: Mark 1:4-11, Acts 19:1-7 To what baptism have you been baptized? The story in Acts talks about Jesus’ followers being baptized in the Holy Spirit. This baptism gave them, among other things, the power to stand up to powerful and dangerous interests. In baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit to enter into this life […]
Scripture: Luke 2:22-40 – On the Road to Rejoicing The prophet Anna–portrayed this morning by Ann–witnessed Jesus’ arrival at the temple and foretold about the hope that Jesus would bring. What a strange Advent season it has been. Mourning the loss of life through COVID-19 and the racial injustice we continue to see. What have […]
I Samuel 7:1-11, 16 & Luke 1:26-38 – On the Road to Revelation God selected Mary, a young woman to deliver the Lord Jesus in to the world. She was afraid and then heard a an angel’s voice “Greetings you who highly favored, the Lord is with you”. She heard the voice again “Don’t be […]
